German Legislators Propose Arms Embargo Against Turkey

The German opposition party, the Left, alongside the Greens, has introduced a bill in the Bundestag proposing an arms embargo against Turkey due to its belligerent policies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Nagorno-Karabakh, Libya, and Syria, as well as human rights violations. According to Armenian news agency 'Armenpress,' this was reported by the German media company Deutsche Welle.

The proposal titled 'No Arms to Turkey,' prepared by the Left party, was sent to the Federal Council on November 20. It is expected to be included in the council's agenda for discussion in the upcoming week.

The bill suggests halting all types of military equipment, weapons, and spare parts exports to Turkey and canceling previously approved export contracts. The parties state that Ankara seeks to acquire modern weapon systems, aims to build a large and independent defense industry, and expand its production capabilities for long-range missiles, drones, and submarines. They emphasize that Turkey should not be allowed to become so militarily powerful, as this could increase instability in the region and ultimately have serious consequences for European countries.

According to Deutsche Welle, between 2009 and 2018, Turkey received 33 exports of military products. Overall, German companies sold military equipment and spare parts to Turkey worth approximately 12.8 million euros, enabling it to create a relatively large fleet of drones.

The Left party notes that these drones (Bayraktar TB-2) have been actively used by Ankara in its war against Kurds in southeastern Turkey, as well as in combat operations conducted by Turkey in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, and recently in the conflict initiated by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The party draws attention to the fact that Turkey's gas exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, which began in the summer, and the deployment of naval vessels have escalated tensions between Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, further highlighting the necessity of applying military pressure on Turkey.

They also mention that Greece had previously proposed to the European Union to impose an arms embargo against Turkey; however, the proposal was vetoed by Hungary, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Malta.